Nicol Ann David

Datuk Nicol Ann David

Presented by: Foong Xing Yu
Lim Wei Jie
Wong Yee Shuen

Nicol Ann David was born in Penang on August
26, 1983 to a retired Malaysian Chinese school
teacher and Malaysian Indian engineer.

She picked up squash at the tender age of 5 and started taking lessons three
times a week from the age of 8.

She also excelled in her studies, attaining 7As in both
her PMR and SPM examinations at SMK
Convent Green Lane. Her favourite subject in school
was Mathematics and she had aspired to be an
engineer like her father before she was scouted for her
racquet skills, leading her onto a different path.

UP & DOWNS

The 37-year-old, crowned the World Games
Greatest Athlete of All Time, said despite having
a lot of highs in her career to become the most
decorated squash star, it was the lows she
faced that really carved her to be better.

Defeats and hard times really unleash yourself

As the world’s most decorated squash
athlete, her résumé reads: 20 years of
professional squash, nine years as world
number one, eight-time squash world
champion. Not forgetting, the
honorary title of the Greatest of All
Time (G.O.A.T.) bestowed upon her
by her peers and the public.

Despite all her awards, Nicol faced many defeats
as well. The loses she took from some
tournaments sometimes took a toll on her
motivation. But as time passed and experience
gathered, Nicol got better at overcoming her
loses. Being the world number one definitely
stressed her out but it also helped her to identify
what truly was important to her, to work harder
and continue to find ways to keep improving
herself.

As any other professional athletes’,
Nicol had her fair share of injuries
during her time on court. Her latest of
which, was a strained hamstring and
adductor that caused her to miss the
2018 British Open, a tournament she
won 5 times over and never skipped
since 2001. Nicol David fortunately
never suffered any major permanent
injuries during her time as one of the
world’s top squash players.

But her climb to success did not come easy.
Nicol had a very strict schedule, which required
her to train two sessions a day, 6 days a week.
The type of training shifts between physical
training; which are typically weight lifting or
cardio and endurance exercises. Whereas the
other would consist of playing squash.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1999

She won the Women's World Junior Squash
Championships held in Antwerp, Belgium, and
became the youngest female world junior
champion at the age of 15.

Shortly thereafter, she went on to claim multiple
junior titles from numerous different countries.

2000

She joined Women’s International
Squash Players Association (WISPA)
and earned her first WISPA title. From
2005 to 2010, Nicol David received the
title of WISPA Player of the Year, six
times in a row

1998 - 2011

She won the Asian Squash for a record of
eight times.

2006

Nicol David became the first Malaysian and
the first Asian woman to be ranked World
number one in squash.

2008 - 2012

She has won the World Open Championship
consecutively five times.

2008

She accomplished an incredible feat by not
losing a single match in the complete calendar
year.

Her achievements now include 8
World Championship wins, 9
Asian Championship wins, and a
108 consecutive month record on
defending her title as the World’s No.
1 squash player.

In conjunction with the 70th birthday
celebration of Yang di-Pertuan Negeri Tun
Abdul Rahman Abbas’, Nicol David was
graciously awarded the DSPN (Darjah
Setia Pangkuan Negeri) which comes with
the Datuk title, just before she reached the
age of 25. This makes her the youngest
person ever to be given a Datukship in
Penang.

Nicol David was also additionally
accorded with an honorary major of
the Royal Malaysia Air Force
(RMAF) Volunteer Reserve, which
also makes her the first athlete to ever
receive such an award.

After 20 years of being a superstar in the global
squash arena, at the end of the 2018/2019
Professional Squash Association(PSA) season in
June, the 35-year-old decided it was time to call
it a day. Even after her retirement, Nicol is still
committed to the sport as she has been travelling
around the world to conduct talks or coaching
clinics on squash.

Thank you